Poker blogger gets probation for casino theft

MASHANTUCKET — A poker blogger was sentenced to a probation program for stealing nearly $700 at a Connecticut casino by using chopsticks to pull cash out of a hole in a card dealers' locked tip box.

Jay Newnum, 41, of Fishers, Ind., returned the money stolen from Foxwoods Resort Casino after a poker tournament in December and was granted accelerated rehabilitation, a state court program that allows the charges to be erased if he successfully completes probation, The Day of New London reported.

Newnum was arrested on a misdemeanor larceny charge Dec. 16 after the Mega Stack Challenge $600 no-limit Texas Hold'em tournament, but Connecticut State Police didn't issue a press release about the arrest until Thursday. Police said Newnum was caught "fishing" cash out of the tip box.

Newnum declined to comment Friday in a call to The Associated Press.

He posted a statement on his blog www.whojedi.com indicating that he would "step away from the poker world indefinitely."

"The Foxwoods Mega Stack Challenge ended early in the morning on December 16th," the statement said. "After flying home that same day, I agreed that I would not discuss anything with anyone. I have honored and will continue to honor that commitment."

In the statement, Newnum also defended Billy Shea, president of the Foxwoods dealers' union, who said he received personal attacks for revealing Newnum's theft in website posts last week. Newnum said he didn't condone those attacks.

Shea posted that Foxwoods had hired Newnum to provide online video coverage of the tournament.